Pound, Pound, Pound!

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I'm not talking about spending cash, I'm talking about the lovely pestle and mortar.
Today we learn the delights of pounding curry paste, forget about Sharwoods and Blue Dragon, this is the real thing. Roong talks us through the ingredients and we get to it with our pestle and mortar. Dry stuff first, followed by fresh. We pound for a good 15-20 minutes and make the tastiest curry this side of Bangkok. Kev's naturally has more chilli than everyone else so takes the longest! His wrist action doesn't seem that good either ?!?
We progress to more curry, a salad some fantastic sweet & sour vegetables (I'm never buying another sauce in a jar!) and sticky black rice pudding, which is nicer than it sounds.
Today when we arrive, Roong invites us out for Big Mama's birthday tonight, we happily accept and agree to meet her later.
We just make it back to our hotel this afternoon before another huge downpour, it gives me great pleasure to see our German (sorry Birgit) friends dashing away from the sunbeds that have kept them occupied for the better part of this week. I really don't understand people who go on holiday, only to sit by the pool for the entire duration. Saying that we will be spending the better part of next week on a lovely beach, but cooking for four days is kind of exhausting.
After a swift shower we head out to Airport Plaza, a huge shopping centre on the outskirts of the city. We didn't reliase it was here and I'm sorry now, I think that we might run out of time as it's the size of Bluewater but on four floors and has a fabulous Japanese restaurant.
Japanese food however, wasn't on the menu tonight and we meet up at the Sizzler! Very American, a nice selection of grilled meat, chips and dips with a salad cart. The free coke refills have me bursting for the toilet later, but that's another story entirely.
Roong introduces us to Big Mama, who's birthday we are celebrating and Boom and Cami (a really lovely American) are there too. We tuck into steak and salad and another teacher who we've not met before turns up with her husband and young son, we're also joined by Boi who also works at the cookery school.
We have a really lovely time, but find it difficult to eat having stuffed our faces all day. We manage to get some fruit in for desert before moving onto a bar for a quick beer.
Unfortunately Airport Plaza shuts at 9.30 which doesn't leave much time for drinking, so we enjoy the conversation and say good night, we'll be back together again in 12 hours!
A quick Song Taos (a strange truck/cab hybrid) ride back to Tha Phae Gate we're home. Tomorrow is our last day here in Chang Mai, one more round of cooking lessons and I really think that we're both going to miss it a lot.

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Photos

Beautiful Roong
Just in case she's reading this!

Crispy Fish
Created by Scarlet, not Kev!

Big Mama's Birthday
L-R Scarlet, Boom, Big Mama, Roong, Cami, Boi and Kev

Comments

[fishy]

budget
Scarlet, we have decided you are going to be in charge of the food budget aswell as the picture budget when you get back. We are setting up a cooking station right by your desk.... lots of love - miss you! xxx